Liquid barrel bung and cork reamer



Dec. 6, 1938. Y H, MARTIN 2,139,554

LIQUID BARREL BUNG AND CORK REAMER Filed March 22, 1957 Patented Dec. 6,1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 22,

5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in bung and cork reamers forbarrels adapted to hold liquid of the type which are provided with aprotective plastic, preferably pitch lining to pre- 5 vent leakage fromthe barrel and evaporation of the liquid contents in` the barrel. and toinsure that the liquid contents will not absorb impurities from thematerial of which the barrel is constructed.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in beer barrels where it ishighly important, Whether the barrels be constructed of wood, metal, orotherwise, to maintain the taste and flavor of the beer, that it beprotected from absorbing wild yeasts or other bacteria in the air or anyimpurities in the material of which the container is fabricated. Inevery brewery before any barrel is` used again, it is relined with pitchor other plastic for this purpose and` the 20 pitch has tended to hardenin the cork or bung holes thereof. In the prior art bung or cork holeshave been reamed out by the ends of heated rods, preferably individuallyheated by insertion in a coal fire.

My invention relates to improvements not only in the actual constructionof the reaming front end of my reamer which makes it adaptable for useeither in rearning a cork hole, as is usually provided at the end of abarrel or the bung hole 30 as is usually provided in the side of thebarrel, but also includes the provision. of means, such as an annularilange to prevent the pitch from running down, the rod or reamer and aplurality of thin spaced, preferably annular cooling fins in rear of thereaming end thereof, the purpose of these fins being to radiate the heatadjacent this portion of the reame!` to drive it forward into the heatconductive reaming end. In. addition, I preferably provide a reaming endof the nature described and attach it to a handle portion so as toprovide a heat insulated air gap between the reaming end and the handleportion.

While the advantageous construction heretofore described may be employedon, any type of reamer, no matter how heated, my invention particularlyrelates to the provision of such features in a reamer' provided with ahollow front reaming end adapted to receive an electrical resistancetherein and I provide an electrical conductive wire connected to saidresistance, in my preferred embodiment, preferably through a hollowhandle with the cord or wire extending to any conveniently adjacentelectric socket and I believe I 55; am the rst therefore to provide anelectric bung 1937, Serial No. 132,305

(Cl. 21S-21) reamer provided with a short handle which may be readilygrasped and manipulated by the workman in use with a slack electricalcord permitting all desired freedom of movement of the reamer in eitherreaming a cork or a bung hole.

It is apparent that a further advantage of my improved electricallyheated reamer is that it may be heated for use in a very short timeWithout the necessity of building a iire for this purpose.

A further feature of my invention. is that'it eliminates the re hazardfrom open fires and permits the use of the pitch reamer indoors as' Wellas outdoors.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appearwill be best understood from a description of an. embodiment` thereof,such as is shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my invention in. fulllines being employed to ream out a bung hole of a wooden barrel and indotted lines to ream out the cork hole of a wooden barrel.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through my improvedreamer.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference indicate like partsthroughout, l0 gen.- erally indicates a barrel bung hole and cork holerea-mer constructed in accordance with my invention.

As stated hitherto, my invention. is primarily adapted for use inreaming out the holes oi a container for liquid and while primarilyadapted to be used on containers of barrel size, whether they areconstructed of wood, metal, or other material, is equally adapted foruse on any size liquid package, whether it be a keg, half bar-rel,hogshead, etc., particularly in the brewing trade and I employ the wordbarrel to include any liquid container oi this description. It has beencustomary in the brewing trade to reline the barrel with pitch or otherplastic material to additionally protect it against wild yeasts orbacteria in the air, or from absorbing impurities from the container,every time it is used and for this purpose, pitch or other plastic hasbeen sprayed into the barrel and on hardening has tended to obstruct theusual bung and cork holes.

In the prior art crow-bars, or other types of bars. have been heated in`a coal vforge outdoors to ream out the pitch obstructions and myinvention relates to the provision of a scientifically constructed toolwhich may be readily and safely used indoors for this purpose andcertain aspects of my invention relate to the heat conductive member I2I preferably employ, whether it be a separate portion of an electricallyheated reamer, as shown in my preferred embodiment or a head of acrow-bar or other bar. I construct my heat conductive member out ofmetal or any other heat conductive material and preferably provide itwith a solid front end I4, preferably tapered to a point I6, said end I4being substantially the size of the usual barrel cork hole 64 and Iprovide said end with an intermediate portion I8 in rear of said endportion I4 tapered from rear to front as a bung hole and ofsubstantially the size of the barrel bung hole 6U. In order to preventpitch from flowing backwards down the rod or member I preferably providean annular ange 20 at the rear end of said tapered bung hole portion I8.In order to prevent the heat from being conducted towards the handleportion or rear end of the bar, I preferably provide a portion 24 inrear of said flange having a plurality of thin spaced heat radiatingcooling ns 22 on the periphery thereof, preferably a plurality ofannular spaced ns 22. In the preferred construction shown, I preferablyprovide said portion 24 with a hollow center portion 26 for containing aheating element 28 and with this construction, it is obvious that theheat from the heating element will be conducted towards the solid endI8-I4 and radiate outwards through the fins 22, so as not to be carriedup the bar or towards the handle. It is also apparent that these fins 22may supplementally function to catch any pitch which may tend to rundown the handle. I also preferably construct my improved reamer IIJ soas to provide an air gap 34 between the handle 3l) thereof or bar handleportion and the reaming portion I2 thereof, said air gap 34 beingprovided with connecting means between the handle 30 and heating memberor portion I2 of relatively small area.

So much of my construction hitherto described is novel in any type of areamer, but as stated, my invention particularly relates to a portableand manipulatable electrically heated reamer which may be provided witha suitable handle portion 3G of relatively short length for the readymanipulation thereof and the electrically conductive wire 32 connectedto the heating element 28 contained in said hollow portion 26 adapted tobe connected to any source of supply of electricity and provided withsufficient slack therein for the ready manipulation of my improvedreamer I (I. While the electrically conductive wire may be suitablyconnected to the heating element 28 in any suitable fashion, Ipreferably employ a hollow handle 39 for receiving the wire 32 thereinand connecting it to the heating element 28 through the air gap 34.

Any suitable type of electrically heating resistance 28 may be provided,but I have shown in the drawing a type sold under the name of a heatingcartridge having the end of the wire 32 suitably connected thereto, theother end being connected with a suitable terminal (not shown) for theready connection to any type of electrical socket.

In my preferred form shown for ease of assembly and construction, Ipreferably construct my improved handle 33 and air gap 34 as follows. Iprovide the rear end of the cooling portion 24 with a flange 36 providedwith suitable circumferentially spaced screw holes 38. I provide asleeve 40 adapted to enclose the wire 32 and extend through the hollowwooden handle portion 30 having the flange 42 secured to the front endthereof, the rear end of said sleeve 40 being externally threaded as at44. The flange 42 is provided with a cooperating member of screw holes46 as employed in the flange 3B and the sleeves 46 are adapted to beinserted between the flanges 36 and 42 in line with said screw holes 38and 46 and suitable screws 50 are adapted to be inserted, preferablyfrom the rear through the screw holes 46, the sleeves 48 and screw holes38 to rigidly attach the flanges 36 and 42 together, the flanges beingthus spaced from each other by the sleeves 48. I provide a hollow cap 52for the rear end of said handle having an inner periphery internallythreaded as at 54, so that after the handle sleeve 40 is rigidlyattached to the flange 36 in the manner explained, the wooden handle 30may be compactly slid over the sleeve 40 until it substantially abutsthe flange 42 when the cap 52 may be rigidly secured on the threadedrear end 44 of the sleeve 40 to compactly secure all parts together. Itis thus obvious that I have provided a construction which may be readilyassembled and disassembled.

In use, it is apparent that the radiating fins 22 tend to dissipate theheat near the rear end of the reaming portion I2 and that the air gap 34tends to heat insulate the heat conductive member or portion I2 from thewooden handle 30 so that in actual use, the operators hand can bebrought very close to the reaming end for the accurate alignment andmanipulation thereof Without danger of being burned and it is apparentthat the shortness of the reamer permits of its ready manipulation.

I have shown in Fig. 1 my invention` in the act of actually reaming outthe bung hole B of a barrel 62 and shown it in dotted lines in the actof reaming out a cork hole 64 which is usually located in the end of thebarrel.

It is apparent therefore that I have provided a novel type of barrelbung and cork reamer with the advantages described above.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown and that various deviations may be made therefromwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A barrel bung hole and cork hole reamer, comprising a metal heatconductive member having a solid front end substantially the size of abarrel cork hole and a solid intermediate tapered portion ofsubstantially the circumference size of a barrel bung hole having anannular flange at the rear end thereof and a hollow portion in rear ofsaid flange having a plurality of thin spaced cooling ns on theperiphery thereof, electrical resistance heating means contained withinsaid hollow portion, an electrically conductive wire cord leadingrearwardly therefrom, a hollow handle portion containing said cord andcircumferentially spaced posts detachably securing the handle front endto the rear1 end of said heat conductive member forming an air gaptherebetween.

2. A barrel bung hole and cork hole reamer, comprising a metal heatconductive member having a front end substantially the size of a barrelcork hole, an intermediate tapered portion of substantially the size ofa barrel bung hole having an annular fiange at the rear end thereof,electrical resistance heating means in association therewith, anelectrically conductive Wire connected thereto and a handle portion forsaid conductive member.

3. A barrel bung hole and cork hole reamer, comprising a metal heatconductive and storage member having a front end substantially the sizeof a barrel cork hole and an intermediate tapered portion ofsubstantially the size of a barrel bung hole having an annular flange atthe rear end thereof and a portion in rear of said flange having aplurality of thin spaced cooling vanes on the periphery thereof.

4. A barrel bung hole and cork hole reamer, comprising a metal heatconductive and storage member having a front end substantially the sizeof a barrel cork hole and an intermediate portion of substantially thesize of a barrel bung hole, said portion having an annular flange at therear end thereof.

5. A barrel bung hole and cork hole reamer, comprising a metal heatconductive member having a solid front end substantially the size of abarrel cork hole and a solid intermediate tapered portion ofsubstantially the size of a barrel bung hole having an annular fiange atthe rear end thereof and a hollow portion in rear of said flange,electrical resistance heating means contained within said hollowportion, an electrically conductive wire cord leading rearwardlytherefrom, a hollow handle portion containing said cord andcircumferentially spaced posts detachably securing the handle front endto the rear end of said heat conductive member forming an air gaptherebetween.

HUBERT MARTIN.

